jennings



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. 8. JENNINGS. GAR GOUPLING.

' No. 500,501. Patented June 27, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. S. JENNINGS. GAR COUPLING.

No. 500,501. Patented June 27, 1893.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM S. JENNINGS, OF DES MOINES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO THE B. 85 J. GARCOUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,501, dated June 27,1893.

Application filed July 5, 1892. Serial No. 438,933. (No model.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. JENNINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Des Moines,in the county of Polk, State of Iowa, haveinvented a certain new and Improved Car-Coupling, of which the followingis a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a car coupler in which thecoupling link is carried upon the drawbarand incapable of ready removaltherefrom, and which is also provided with looking devices capable ofoperation independently of or in conjunction with the adjacent couplinglink, which coupling link is movable relative to the drawbar by means ofmanually actuated devices.

My invention consists in the combination with a drawbar, of a couplinglink mounted within said drawbar, and a slot in the lower portion ofsaid drawbar through which the coupling link is withdrawn into aninoperative position.

My invention consists further, in the combination with a drawbar slottedin its lower portion and provided with looking devices on its interior,of a coupling link mounted within said drawbar and adapted to bepartially withdrawn through said slot to render said link inoperative,and lover mechanism manually operated to conjunctively control themovements of said link and locking devices.

My invention consists further in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is aperspective View showing my device as applied for practical use. .Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal sectional View showing a single couplerinalocked position. Fig. 3 is a like view showing the device in anunlocked position, and the coupling link inoperatively positioned. Figs.4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged detail views. Fig. 9 is a verticallongitudinal sectional view,showingtwo drawbars locked together. Fig. 10is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of one drawbar carrying aninoperative link and about to effect acoupling with an operative linkcarried by the opposite drawbar.

In the construction of the device as shown,

the numeral 10 designates the drawbar, provided with the ordinaryinternal aperture 11, opening to the face thereof.

Mounted transversely in the drawbar 10 and rotatable therein is a rockshaft 12, angular in its central portion, and mounted upon said angularportion of said rock shaft is a coupling hook 13, transversely aperturedat its rear end portion, said aperture being angular and greater in oneof its dimensions than the rock shaft upon whichit is mounted, thusproviding a pivotal point for said coupling hook below the center draftthereof. A lug 14 is integrally formed upon the rear end of the couplinghook 13, and is acted upon by lever mechanism to operate the saidcoupling hook.

Extending transversely below the drawbar 10 at the rear of the couplingdevices is a rock shaft 15, mounted in cars 16, the outer ends of whichrock shaft are supported in brackets 17 fixed to the car 18, and areprovided with handles 19, adapted for manual actuation to operate saidrock shaft. Loosely mounted upon the central portion of said rock shaftis a lever 20, horizontally bifurcated at its forward end, the arms 21,22 of said bifurcation overlapping the lug 1 L below and above the samerespectively. A slot 23 is formed in the rear end of the lever 20, andpassing through said slot is a pin 24, fixed on the rock shaft 15.Mounted on the shaft 15 is an arm 25,,

and fixed to the forward end of said arm 25 is a connecting rod 26,which connecting rod is adapted to extend obliquely upward through aninclined slot 27 in the lower portion of the drawbar 10, and into theaperture 11.

Mounted within the aperture 11 of the drawbar is a coupling link 28,having formed on the lower portion of its rear end an car 29, which caris transversely apertured and pivot-ally connected with the forward andupper end of the connecting rod 26 by means of a pin.

Extending obliquely downward and rearward on either side of the slot 27are guideways 30, which guideways are formed integrally with the drawbarand serve as a support for the coupling link 28 in its movements throughthe slot.

Pivoted within the slot 27 is a finger 31,

which finger when the coupling link 28 is in a locked operativeposition, rests against the portion 32 of the drawbar at the forwardextremity of said slot and projects above the guideways 30 into theaperture 11. When the coupling link 28 is in an inoperative position, asshown in Fig. 3, the pivoted finger 31 rests at its upper end againstthe lower rear portion of the coupling hook 13 and supports the saidlink.

A shoulder 33 is formed on the interior of the drawbar 10, and when thecoupling hook 13 is in a locked position the forward end of said hook isbeneath and inengagement with said shoulder.

In the practical operation of my invention, when it is desired to effecta coupling, (no links projecting from either drawbar,) one of thehandles 19 is manipulated to rotate the rock shaft 15, thus elevatingthe arm 25 and causing said arm to move the coupling link upward alongthe inclined guideways 30 and into the position shown in Fig. '2. Thecoupling link 28 in its traverse forces the coupling hook adjacentthereto and the pivoted finger 31 forward, the said coupling hookfalling after the passage of the forward closed end of the link. The onedrawbar now being in position to efiect a coupling the cars areapproximated the coupling in the opposite drawbar being in a recededposition and the coupling link 28,just mentioned,impacts with thecoupling hook 13 of the opposite drawbar and forces the same upward in arotary direction relative to its pivot and passes beneath the hookthereof. It is obvious that in order that the rear end of the hook 13may yield, the lever mechanism connected therewith must also yield tothe forcible impact of the approaching link, which it will freely do, asis obvious, since said lever mechanism is at all times free to moveunder pressure or manual force. -\Vhen it is desired to efiect anuncoupling the handle 19 on the rock shaft connecting with the drawbarcarrying the idle link is manually operated to impart a movement ofrotation to said rock shaft, and in the further rotation of said rockshaft the pin 24 contacts with the upper extremity of the slot in whichit travels and locks together the rock shaft and lever 20, moving saidlever in a rotary direction synchronously with the rock shaft, andcausing the forward end thereof to engage the lug 14 on the couplinghook adjacent thereto and depress the rear end of said coupling hook,thus turning the coupling hook upon its pivot 12, and so elevating theforward end thereof as to permit of the withdrawal of the coupling link.

It is necessary at all times when effecting an uncoupling to operate therock shaft and coupling hook connecting with the drawbar carrying theidle link, since were it attempted to operate the rock shaft connectingwith the drawbar carrying the employed link the first efiect would be atendency to withdraw the employed link before the adjacent hook could beraised, and said employed link being secured by the opposite couplinghook the mechanism could not be operated. It is to be understood alsothat but one coupling link is employed at a time, the remaining linkbeing held in reserve mounted upon the drawbar, to be used only in caseof injury to the other link, or as a matter of greater convenience tothe train or yard man, while it is necessary at all times to employ bothof the coupling hooks, since the mechanism to which the coupling linksare secured is not otherwise sufficiently strong to withstand the strainof the draft.

It will be observed that when the draft is released there will be adownward movement of the rear end of the hook 13 relative to its pivot12, thus changing the axis of rotation of said hook relative to theouter end thereof, and permitting the said hook to swing clear of theshoulder 33 on the drawbar.

Owing to the pivoting-of the coupling hook 13 below the draft centerthereof, when a pulling strain is brought to bear on said hook thetendency thereof will be to move down ward, thus obviating anypossibility of the coupling link becoming disengaged from the said hook.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States th erefor, is-

1. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar and a cavitytherein, of an inclined slot in the lower portion of said drawbar, andguideways formed on said drawbar on either side of said slot, whichguideways form oblique angles with the longitudinal plane of saiddrawbar.

2. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar and a cavitytherein, of an inclined slot in the lower portion of said drawbar,oblique guideways fixed to said drawbar on each side of said slot andprojecting beyond the plane of said drawbar.

3. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar and a cavitytherein, of a slot in the lower portion of said drawbar, guideways oneither side of said slot, a rock shaft mounted in contiguity to saiddrawbar,a link mounted within said drawbar and pivotal connectionsbetween said rock shaft and said link, whereby a longitudinal movementis imparted to said link conjunctively with the operation of said rockshaft.

1. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar, of a coupling hookpivotally mounted therein, a lug formed on the rear end of said couplingbook, a lever having a bifurcated forward end engaging said lug, and arock shaft journaled on said drawbar and supporting said lever.

5. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar and a rock shaftjournaled thereon, of a coupling hook pivotally mounted within saiddrawbar, a lever mounted upon said rock shaft and acting upon saidcoupling hook, an arm mounted upon said rock shaft, a pin fixed to saidrock shaft and acting upon said lever, a link mounted within saiddrawbar, a slot in the lower portion of said drawbar, guideways oneither side of said slot, a connecting rod forming a connection betweensaid link and said arm, and means for preventing the entire withdrawalof said link.

6. In a car coupling the combination with a drawbar and a cavitytherein, of a coupling hook pivoted within said cavity at a point belowthe draft center of said drawbar, and lever mechanism connected withsaid coupling hook and adapted for manual actuation r 5 to elevate saidhook.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of June,1892.

WILLIAM S. JENNINGS. In presence of- S. 0. SWEET, F. C. TATE.

